Leak to POLITICO infuriated Rahm, book says

By Jennifer Epstein

01/06/12 11:00 PM EST

As the White House faced criticism in the summer of 2010 for acknowledging that Democrats might lose the House that November, Patrick Gaspard, the president's political director, put together a memo for Democratic Hill leadership detailing all that President Obama had done to support his party's candidates.

Then-deputy press secretary Bill Burton wanted to leak the memo to POLITICO's Jonathan Martin, according to a copy of Jodi Kantor's "The Obamas" obtained Friday by POLITICO. The leak was also approved by Burton's boss, Robert Gibbs, but it set off then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who used some of his characteristically colorful language in response, Kantor writes:

"Just because someone wants to put their dick on the table, we have to deal with this!" he yelled, eyeing Gaspard, who he clearly thought was the culprit. Gibbs, who had approved the leak, said nothing. Emanuel was still screaming at his morning meeting the next day, alternating between subjects: the Politico leak, all the races Democrats were going to lose. "We don't know what we're doing. We're not using resources well," he fumed.

Gaspard said he had written the memo but hadn't leaked it, but Emanuel didn't believe him "and launched into another round of swearing," Kantor says. Gibbs, meanwhile, stayed quiet, not letting on that he'd authorized the release.